Buoyant electric cable



March 12,1946. H. L. BEEDE BUOYANT ELECTRIC CABLE Original Filed Feb. 6, 1943 BER.

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. INVENTOR r ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 12, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUOYANT ELECTRIC CABLE Harry L. Beede, Fort Lee, N. J., assignor to The Okonite-Callender Cable Company, Incorporated, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Original application February6, 1943, Serial No. 474,932. Divided and this application January 6, 1944, Serial No. 517,166

12 Claims.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevational' view of one embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view of another embodiment.

Referring to the drawing in detail: 2 designates cylinders of plywood, hermetically sealed with plywood heads 4. For purposes of description these sealed cvlinders will be referred to hereinafter as cells or core cells. I

Each of the core cells is enclosed in a suitable water and moisture resistant plastic film, cover-- ing or sheath 6. Many types of plastic may be employed, I have obtained good results employin: 'a phenolic condensation product such as Bakelite.

The core cells are laid end to end along the cable. adjacent cells being separated by spacers 8. These spacers are referably of resilient mater al such as rubber, the spacers illustrated being cellular rubber each enclosed in a rubber skin Ill.

The cable conductor is des gnated l2, conductor may be applied directly about the cellancispacer assembly. but I prefer first of all to enclose the cell-and-spacer assembly in a waterimpervious flexible, rubber-like sheath ll, and to apply the conductor I! about this sheath.

, On the exterior of the cable I apply a rubber or other water-impervious sheath IS.

The core cells are highly resistant to crushins-ii constructed as described. However. itis within the contem lat on of my invention to maintain these cells under internal pressure, say seventy-five to one hundred pounds p r square inch.

When employing the rubber-likesheath ll immediately over the cell-spacer assembly I find that in the vulcanizing operation the sheath becomes bonded to the spacers. This is advantageous in that it provides aseal at the periphery of each spacer against the passage of water along the interior of the cable. s

A buoyant cable such as above described is not only highly resistant to crushing, but will not corrode readily and is highly resistant to water and moisture absorption.

In the embodiment of my invention and illus- This 30 trated in Fig. 2, I show a construction similar to that'just described, except that in this instance both the cylinders 2 and heads 4 areshown as of plywood construction, each being made up of 6 alternate plies of wood and a water and moisture resisting plastic such as Bakelite. In all other respects the construction in Fig. 2 is a duplicate of that of Fig. 1. This application is a division of my copending 10 application Serial No. 474,932, filed February 6,.

What I claim is:

1. In a buoyant electric cable in which the weight to volume ratio is such as to enable the same to float in sea water, the combination of a plurality of center or core cells each comprising a hermetically. sealed plywood cylinder enclosed in a water and moisture resistant plastic, spacers intermediateadjacent cells, a conductor disposed about the cell-and-spacer assembly, and

-an outer, flexible, water-impervious enclosing sheath.

2. In a buoyant electric cable in which the weight to volume ratio is'such as to enable the 2 same to float in sea water, the combination of a plurality of centeror core cells each comprising 1 a hermetically sealed plywood cylinder enclosed in a phenolic condensation product, resilient spac- 'ers.intermediate adjacent cells, a conductor d sposed about the cell-and-spacer assembly, and an outer, flexible, water-impervious enclosing sheathi 3. In a buoyant electric cable in whichthe weight'to volume ratio is such as to enable the same to float in sea water, the combination of a plurality oi center or core cells each comprising a. hermetically sealed plywood cylinder enclosed in a water and moisture resistant plastic, spacers intermediate adjacent cells, a rubber-like, water-impervious sheath about said cell-andspacer assembly, a conductor about said sheath,

and an outer, flexible, water-impervious enclosing sheath.

4. In a buoywant electric cable in which the weight to volume ratio is such as to enable the same to float in sea water, the combination of a plurality of center or core cells each comprising a hermetically sealed plywood cylinder enclosed in a phenolic condensation product, spacers intermediate adjacent cells, a rubber-like, waterimpervious sheath about said cell-and-spacer assembly, a conductor about said sheath, and an outer, flexible, water-impervious enclosing sheath.

5. In a buoyant electric cable in which the weight to volume ratio is such as to enable the 5 same to float in sea water, the combination of a plurality of center or core cells, each under internal superatmospheric pressure and comprising a hermetically sealed plywood cylinder enclosed in a water and moisture resistant plastic, spacers intermediate adjacent cells, a conductor disposed about the cell-and-spacer assembly, and an outer, flexible, water-impervious enclosing sheath.

6. In a buoyant electric cable in which the weight to volume ratio is such as to enable the same to float in sea water, the combination of a plurality of center or core cells, each under internal superatmospheric pressure and comprising a hermetically sealed plywood cylinder enclosed in a phenolic condensation product, spacers intermediate'adjacent cells, a conductor disposed about the cell-and-spacer assembly, and an outer, flexible, water-impervious enclosing sheath.

7. In a buoyant electric cable in which the weight to volume ratio is such as to enable the same to float in sea water, the combination of a plurality of center or core cells, each under internal superatmospheric pressure and comprising a hermetically sealed plywood cylinder enclosed in. a water and moisture resistant plastic, spacers intermediate adjacent cells, a rubber-like sheath about the cell-and-spacer assembly, a conductor disposed about said sheath, and an outer flexible, water-impervious enclosing sheath.

8. In a buoyant electric cable in which the weight to volume ratio is such as to enable the same to float in sea water, the combination of a plurality of center or core cells, each under internal superatmospheric pressure and comprising a hermetically sealed plywood cylinder enclosed in a phenolic condensation product, spacers intermediate adjacent cells, a rubber-like water-impervious sheath about said cell-and-spacer assembly, a conductor disposed about said sheath, and an outer, flexible, water-impervious enclosing sheath.

9. In a buoyant electric cable in which the weight to volume ratio is such as to enable the same to float in sea water, the combination of a plurality of center or core cells each comprising a plywood cylinder composed of alternate plies of wood and a water and moisture resistant plastic, plywood heads for the cylinders hermetically sealed in place, water and moisture resistant plastic enclosing each cylinder, resilient spacers intermediate adjacent cells, a conductor about the cell-and-spacer assembly, and an outer, flexible, water-impervious enclosing sheath.

10. In a buoyant electric cable in which the weight to volume ratio is such as to enable the same to float in sea water, the combination of a plurality of center or core cells each comprising a plywood cylinder composed of alternate plies of wood and a water and moisture resistant plastic, heads for the cylinders of the same material 'as the cylinders and hermetically sealed in place, water and moisture resistant plastic enclosing each cylinder, resilient spacers intermediate adjacent cells, a conductor about the celland-spacer assembly, and an outer, flexible, watar-impervious enclosing sheath.

11. In a buoyant electric cable in which the weight to volume ratio is such as to enable the same to float in sea water, the combination of a plurality of center or core cells each comprising a plywood cylinder composed of alternate plies of wood and a water and moisture resistant plastic, plywood heads for the cylinders hermet ically sealed in place, water and moisture resistantplastic enclosing each cylinder, resilient spacers intermediate adjacent cells, a rubber-like water-impervious sheath about the cell-andspacer assembly, a conductor about said sheath, and an outer, flexible, water-impervious enclosing sheath.

12. In a buoyant electric cable in which the weight to volume ratio is such as to enable the same to float in sea water, the combination of a plurality of center or core cells each comprising a plywood cylinder composed of alternate,

plies of wood and a phenolic condensation product, heads for the cylinders hermetically sealed in place and composed of the same material as the cylinders, each cell being enclosed in a plienolic condensation product, a rubber-like sheath about the cell-and-spacer assembly, a conductor about said sheath, and an outer, flexible, water-impervious enclosing sheath.

- HARRY L. BEEDE. 

